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Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland) 2019Trichophyton violaceumis an anthropophilic dermatophyte, endemic in Africa and recently an emerging pathogen in Europe.
BACKGROUND
Trichophyton violaceumis an anthropophilic dermatophyte, endemic in Africa and recently an emerging pathogen in Europe.
OBJECTIVE
To perform a retrospective analysis of dermatophytoses due to T. violaceum between 2007 and 2018, in order to evaluate epidemiological trends in Southern Switzerland (Ticino).
METHODS
We reviewed all medical records of patients affected by dermatophytosis due to T. violaceum between January 2007 and December 2018 in Bellinzona (Ticino, Switzerland).
RESULTS
Dermatophytoses due to T. violaceumwas diagnosed in 44 patients, 33 of which were in the last 4 years. The most affected sex was female (25/44) and the most frequent diagnosis was tinea capitis (30/44). The majority of tinea capitis patients were children younger than 13 years of age (27/30). The main source of contagion were people from endemic areas, especially from Eritrea.
CONCLUSION
In Southern Switzerland T. violaceumhas been rarely diagnosed before 2014. Its increased occurrence seems linked to increased migratory flows from Eritrea. Since it is responsible mainly for tinea capitis, with most of the time no clearly defined alopecia patches, it is important to consider it as a possible diagnosis when facing scalp scaling. Tinea capitis due to T. violaceum is a benign affection, but if left untreated it can spread epidemically, especially among children in schools and kindergartens. Mycological examination is then required, not only for a correct diagnosis and epidemiological data, but also for planning the appropriate treatment.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antifungal Agents; Child; Child, Preschool; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Switzerland; Tinea; Tinea Capitis; Trichophyton; Young Adult
PubMed: 31295740
DOI: 10.1159/000501271 -
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational... 2022This work aimed to determine the magnitude of tinea capitis, the diversity and species composition of fungi, and the predominant dermatophytes implicated in causing...
OBJECTIVE
This work aimed to determine the magnitude of tinea capitis, the diversity and species composition of fungi, and the predominant dermatophytes implicated in causing tinea capitis.
METHODS
A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at a dermatology clinic. Scalp scrapings were collected and cultured, and dermatophyte and non-dermatophyte molds were identified.
RESULTS
Of 364 scalp scrapings, fungi were recovered from 301 (82.7%) clinical samples. About 60.7% of the samples were collected from women, while 39.3% were collected from male study subjects. The association between the magnitude of scalp ringworm and gender was not statistically significant ( = 0.105). Two hundred eighty study subjects were less than 15 years of age, of which 254 were culture positive. The association of tinea capitis and the age of patients was statistically significant ( = 0). Three hundred forty-nine fungal isolates were isolated, of which 54.2% were dermatophytes, while 45.8% were non-dermatophyte molds. The occurrence of dermatophytes in their decreasing order was (138; 73%), (18; 9.5%), (16; 8.5%), (8; 4.5%), (7; 3.7%), (1; 0.5%), and (1; 0.5%).
CONCLUSION
A high prevalence rate of -induced tinea capitis was reported. The magnitude of scalp ringworm in adults was remarkably high. Therefore, conducting a nationwide epidemiological survey on tinea capitis regardless of age is suggested. The isolation of many non-dermatophyte molds in the current study may shade questions about the perception that tinea capitis is caused by dermatophytes only. Therefore, studies on their potential pathogenic role on skin and skin-related (nail and the scalp) infections appear to be an active field of research.
PubMed: 35847420
DOI: 10.2147/CCID.S367763 -
Journal de Mycologie Medicale Mar 2018Trichophyton violaceum is an anthropophilic dermatophyte, common in Mediterranean and African countries, which causes particularly trichophytic tinea in school-aged... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Trichophyton violaceum is an anthropophilic dermatophyte, common in Mediterranean and African countries, which causes particularly trichophytic tinea in school-aged children. The objective of this work is to study the clinical and epidemiological profile of T. violaceum infections.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
This is a descriptive retrospective study of a series of twelve cases of T. violaceum dermatophytosis diagnosed among patients referred to our laboratory for suspicion of dermatomycosis during a period from January 2011 to December 2016. The diagnosis was based on the positivity of direct examination and culture, and the identification of our strains on the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the colonies.
RESULTS
The mean age at diagnosis was 8.6 years with a sex ratio of 2. Tinea capitis (TC) was the most frequent clinical aspect (75 %), followed by onychomycosis (25 %). Among the TC, trichophytic tinea was predominant (66.7 %). Besides, we observed a case of pustulo-inflammatory tinea. Direct examination was positive and showed an endothrix pilar parasitism in all cases.
DISCUSSION
The clinical expression of dermatophyties to T. violaceum is polymorphous. The TC is the most frequent as reported in the literature. However, kerion and onychomycoses of feet were rarely described in association with this dermatophyte, hence the importance of the mycological examination allowing to support the diagnosis of a misleading clinical lesion.
PubMed: 29433854
DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2017.12.006 -
The British Journal of Dermatology Aug 1979Two patients with deep cold abscesses due to Trichophyton violaceum are described. Both have depressed cellular immunity.
Two patients with deep cold abscesses due to Trichophyton violaceum are described. Both have depressed cellular immunity.
Topics: Abscess; Adolescent; Adult; Female; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; Tinea; Trichophyton
PubMed: 486325
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1979.tb05605.x -
Der Hautarzt; Zeitschrift Fur... Sep 2016Tinea capitis is caused by anthropophilic, zoophilic or geophilic dermatophytes of the genera Microsporum or Trichophyton. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Tinea capitis is caused by anthropophilic, zoophilic or geophilic dermatophytes of the genera Microsporum or Trichophyton.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical presentation of tinea capitis among children in western Uganda.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
From February to June 2012, skin and hair samples were obtained from 115 patients aged from 1 to 16 years presenting at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MUSC) with clinically suspected tinea capitis. Conventional mycological diagnostics comprised Blancophor preparation and cultivation of fungi for species identification.
RESULTS
Tinea capitis among the children included in the MUSC study was mainly noninflammatory showing mostly a seborrhoeic pattern or "black dot" and "gray patch" form and highly inflammatory kerion celsi. Blancophor preparation identified 82.6 % positive and 17.4 % negative samples. Cultural species differentiation showed Trichophyton (T.) violaceum as the causative agent for tinea capitis in 56.6 % of the patients. In 13 %, Microsporum (M.) audouinii was isolated followed by T. soudanense (2.6 %), and T. rubrum (1.7 %). In addition, moulds (contamination?) such as Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Aspergillus niger, and Fusarium oxysporum were found as well as mixed infections.
CONCLUSION
The anthropophilic dermatophyte T. violaceum represents the most frequent cause of tinea capitis in western Uganda. For successful management oral antifungal therapy is necessary together with supportive topical treatment.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Hospitals, Community; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Male; Prevalence; Referral and Consultation; Risk Factors; Species Specificity; Tinea; Tinea Capitis; Treatment Outcome; Trichophyton; Uganda
PubMed: 27341825
DOI: 10.1007/s00105-016-3831-1 -
The Journal of Dermatology Jul 2021
Topics: Arthrodermataceae; Humans; Tinea Capitis; Trichophyton
PubMed: 33860561
DOI: 10.1111/1346-8138.15901 -
International Journal of Infectious... Sep 2022
Topics: Arthrodermataceae; Child; Humans; Tinea; Trichophyton
PubMed: 35718297
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.06.018 -
Michigan Medicine Mar 1969
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Female; Hair; Humans; Male; Michigan; Tinea Capitis; Trichophyton
PubMed: 5770515
DOI: No ID Found -
International Journal of Dermatology Feb 1993The ultrastructure of different fungi have been described in recent literature; however, few reports have concerned dermatophytes.
BACKGROUND
The ultrastructure of different fungi have been described in recent literature; however, few reports have concerned dermatophytes.
METHODS
Fine structure of Trichophyton violaceum was observed using electron microscopy.
RESULTS
Hyphae appeared as branched segmented filaments with a cell wall consisting of two layers. Thin electron dense plasma membrane was evident continuous with the inner surface of the cell wall. Septal walls with central pores and a uniform electron opacity plugs were seen. The hyphae were multinucleated and the cytoplasm contained endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and vacuoles.
CONCLUSIONS
Although these findings showed ultrastructural similarities of the cell wall with Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum and Microsporum audouinii, there were some points of difference in the ultrastructure of the hyphae in Epidermophyton floccosum, and in the mitochondria of Trichophyton mentagrophytes as described by other investigators.
Topics: Microscopy, Electron; Trichophyton
PubMed: 8440569
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-4362.1993.tb01444.x -
Fungal Biology Jun 2020Parvalbumins play crucial physiological roles in neuromuscular systems of vertebrates, such as cell-cycle, development of neurons, contraction of muscles, and regulation...
Parvalbumins play crucial physiological roles in neuromuscular systems of vertebrates, such as cell-cycle, development of neurons, contraction of muscles, and regulation of intracellular calcium. To perform these neuromuscular functions, parvalbumin may be in associated with other proteins including calbindin, carbonic anhydrase, and cytochrome oxidase. Humans may show an IgE-specific hypersensitivity to parvalbumins after consumption of some distinct fish species. While this protein is abundant in fish muscles, literature review of publications related to fish parvalbumins, do not point to the presence of parvalbumins in eukaryotic microbes. In this study, we propose that distantly related parvalbumins may be found in some non-fish species. Bioinformatics studies such as multiple sequence alignment (MSA), phylogenetic analysis as well as molecular-based experiments indicate that, at least two parvalbumins sequences (UniProt IDs: A0A178F775 and A0A178F7E4) with EF-hand domains and Ca-binding sites could be identified in Trichophyton violaceum, a pathogenic fungal species. It was determined that both genes consisted of a single exon and encoded for parvalbumin proteins possessing conserved amino acid motifs. Antigenicity prediction revealed antigenic sites located in both sides of the Ca-binding site of the first EF-hand domain. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed that one of parvalbumins (UniProt ID: 0A178F775) can be evolved to other parvalbumins in T. violaceum (UniProt ID: A0A178F7E4) and fish species through evolutionary phenomenon. To confirm our in-silico findings, we designed three primer pairs to detect one of the T. violaceum parvalbumins (UniProt ID: A0A178F7E4) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR); one primer pair showed a strong and specific band in agarose gel electrophoresis. To evaluate the specificity of the method, the primers were tested on extracted DNA from Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes. The results demonstrated that the evaluated parvalbumin gene (UniProt ID: A0A178F7E4) was T. violaceum-specific and this pathogenic fungus can be differentiated from T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes through identification of parvalbumin genes. Further studies are necessary to unravel the biochemical and physiological functions of parvalbumins in T. violaceum.
Topics: Animals; Antigens, Fungal; Arthrodermataceae; Evolution, Molecular; Fish Proteins; Fishes; Fungal Proteins; Genes, Fungal; Parvalbumins; Phylogeny
PubMed: 32448450
DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2020.02.014